Strider

Edmond Lexiel, LOTUS was the computer, right? A little unnecessarily angry, I think. . . And the person holding it was Isobel? The pale person--they had something or someone who helped me in the battle, and Laver? That's strange. . . The crown I suppose did it? When the had left, Edmond made his way over to the man who was now addressing them. "Hello, sir. My name is Edmond. May I ask yours?" After waiting for a response, Edmond went on. "I have a few more questions too. Can you tell me a little about this seige? How long it's been going, how exactly it started, how long you can expect to hold out, troop numbers, current defenses, and the like? There were some human officers out on the field intermixed with the skeletal warriors who could use magic. Do you have anyone in the castle with those capabilities? And, I suppose I should give some information of my own: We met a woman on the field of battle, wearing a purple robe, with some sort of red lines or veins, and a pale face. Do you know who that is? And a final question: What does this castle have in terms of nonessentials--a library in particular?" Liliya "Well, I suppose letting him out wouldn't be great--though I think we could easily subdue him-- but how do you not know if it has airholes? Didn't you say that you two made the thing? And--" Liliya stopped as she heard the thud of the man falling unconscious. She flinched a little as Dackly stripped the man, then tossed him aside to be taken care of by soldiers. She briefly raised her hands as though to protest, but let them fall after a moment. "I think---uh. Nevermind that." She turned towards the person trying to stealthily back away. "Are you alright? You look nervous. I'm Liliya, by the way." She took this chance to introduce herself, as it seemed that there were still many people she hadn't met.

[Alexander/Ciri] “Don't worry about them looking evil. You aren't evil. And the appearance of evil will only serve to scare our enemies. Defenses. . . I'll go about setting something up. I wouldn't be able to exit right now to set up something along the outside of the warehouse, right? And even if I could, it wouldn't be a good idea.” Alexander shook his head, then began to rifle through one of the bags, searching for something. He pulled out a tangle of cables and small black irregular boxes. He was crossing the room, preparing to set something up, when a thought came to him. “Caster--Ciri, I suppose, since there is no one to hear--is it possible to set up wards around and inside the Safe Room? Will they be consumed by the territory? And if so, would anything change if I waited to make them until after the Canvas has been completed?”

Liliya "So. What does he have to do to get out? Are you gonna try to interpret his grunts or something? Waiting for him to suffocate and pass out?" Liliya leaned in towards the giant club, trying to see if any off the muffled sounds were understandable. "I'm just gonna put this out there, but. . . you know, for some people, even with really mild claustrophobia, keeping them in an enclosed metal clubs with no way out might be torture in itself. We tried to stick Mikhail in a cabinet once, I can tell you he did not like that. Was on the verge of tears after a few minutes, and he's not a weak person."

Liliya "Nice to meet you then. I . . . I think uhh. Dackly was it? What even is that thing? What's it doing to the man?" Liliya gestured at the odd club thing, with an expression more of confusion than of concern for the man. While she wasn't really a big fan of the whole "torture the helpless prisoner in a confined space" routine, it was probably at least somewhat deserved when one goes around commanding legions of skeleton dragons to kill people.

[Archer & Kevin] Darien nodded. He had begun to move to work on a new drone, though it seemed to be going slowly. As he shifted in the backseat, he loudly hit is head on the ceiling, leaving a small dent. "Goddamnit!" He glared at the ceiling for a moment, then turned back to his Master. “This Shiori person. How'd you meet her? It's probably good to know a bit more 'bout the person who's going to have so much leverage over your fighting in this war. And, uhh. . . how does having decent mana make no sense? I mean, its just natural talent right? Some people got it, others don't?” [Alexander/Ciri] Alexander hesitantly accepted the seeds, with an internal shudder. Like most every part of this Servant's magic except perhaps the Servant's personality, they exuded an aura of malevolence. As soon as the floor had been entirely coated in white, Alexander got down on his hand and knees to search for places to put the seeds. As soon as he found some cracks, he stuck the seeds down into the floor. When he had done that, he went over to the pile of items set off to the side, and began arranging them. Things like food, a first aid kit, and a camp stove were left in the pile, while things like the guns he brought to specific locations in the room that seemed most fit for an ambush. He filled a backpack with supplies like a map of the city, a knife, a phone, and other items in order to be somewhat prepared when he needed to venture out into the city. And lastly, he unrolled a sleeping bag and a mattress and placed them on the floor. “I'm going to need to sleep a bit tonight, though not immediately. Will you be able to sense intruders while setting it up, or should I stay awake until the first stages have been completed? We don't want someone catching us unawares at our weakest moment, no matter how unlikely it is.”

Of course we have a purpose in being here! Thought Shelly as Frederick spoke. Why else would they have been brought here!? And it made sense for names to be known to others in the Aether Foundation. . . In any case, Shelly had her own questions for the trio. "So, your given names aren't Abra and Kadabra, right? So, what do you need the codenames for, or is this just for show? And...why is the Abra named Alakazam? Also, Frederick, if they can read minds, that's a decent explanation for why they know our names."

Edmond Upon landing in the fortress, Edmond had given his suit a quick check, just to ensure that there was no permanent damage. Satisfied, he carefully listened to the woman who addressed them. He took another quick recording, then opened the helmet, popped it off, and stuck it under his arm. Commanders for the group, people who could speak for everyone? He was entirely uncertain about his capacity for the first, but somewhat confident in his abilities for the second. Should I volunteer? There's probably others who could suffice. . . But to be entirely honest, if someone like Visrii were to volunteer, I would not be at all confident about diplomacy. I think. . . When she finished, he stepped forward, but not to volunteer precisely, as was evident by what he said. "I'm willing to serve as a possible candidate to fill this role. As was mentioned, our group is newly formed, and we have not yet had time to develop any form of command hierarchy. I do however, support Lexiel as a de facto leader of our band. In any case, having decent military training myself, consider me a possibility, but if anyone else steps forward who believes that their military background qualifies them especially towards commanding a group like this, I will be perfectly willing to let them go instead of me." After Edmond had said this, he gave a small bow of his head towards the woman on horseback, and stood still a moment waiting to see if someone else would volunteer. Liliya When they had been ushered into the castle, Liliya had remained near the creators of the stone truck. What appeared to be a gorgon, and. . . some sort of creature made of rock. She hadn't cared too much about them beating the man trapped inside the club, but a thought did pop into her head. Addressing the gorgon, the rock thing, and the Indian man, Liliya said, "I don't know your names--sorry about that, I'm Liliya--but don't you think it might be a good idea to get him out, and then try to get info out of him? It looked like he had some good armor, so he might be an officer?"

[Alexander/Ciri] “Oh, it's not the bathroom that I was worried about. It wouldn't matter much. I doubt Highlark would be happy with us if we had your magic consume the check-in room and the office.” He still wasn't entirely certain how he would excuse the absence of the shipping containers and other contents of the warehouse... With everyone helping, and no real need to get things in order until after they had been unloaded, everything was soon out of the car, and in the small foyer room.“Thank you for the help. You too, Corwin.” With that dismissal, the manservant drove the car back towards the door through which he had entered. The back lights slowly dimmed, until the car pulled out of the building. A moment later the warehouse doors slid shut, leaving the building entirely dark except for the light emanating from the building which Alexander and his Servant occupied. A small buzz emanated from the Master's pocket, and once had he checked the text, he nodded, satisfied. He shut the door to the building, and turned to Caster. “Corwin is gone. You can begin, if you are ready. I don't need a book—though I do have a few—; there's plenty for me to occupy myself with while you work.”

[Archer & Kevin] Darien noted the church as they approached, and the wards erected around it. ”Why're there so many wards on that place? They got some cult there, or what?” Darien scowled a bit when Kevin's lack of magical proficiency was announced. “I'm the Servant. Don't worry too much about that. S'long as you can give the orders and make the arrangements, I'll do what I can, and try to keep your weakness in mind.” Darien grunted, then returned to his work. He supposed that it was good that the boy had decent mana capacity, even if he was pretty unskilled at using it. . . “So, kid, did you just start training or something, or what? You've got a good amount of mana, far as I can tell, so I'm thinking you just haven't trained much yet?” [Alexander/Ciri] “I see. You understand that Corwin?” Corwin nodded, restarted the car, and pulled out to drive around to one of the large sliding warehouse doors. When the arrived, he left the car idling while he hopped out to open the door. As the car idled, Alexander answered her earlier query about a possible guard. “Don't worry about that. The warehouse and laboratory are both warded against intruders usually, and should there be a guard or watchman, they would be a poor one if they did not come running when when we open the door.” As if on cue, there was a rumbling as the warehouse doors shuddered open. “The laboratory will be our safe room, I suppose. Everything else stored in this warehouse, if there is anything, will have to be lost. I'm not going to the trouble of stuffing the lab with nonessential items simply to preserve a hundredth of what might be contained here.” Corwin reentered the car, and brought it inside. The warehouse was quite dark, even with the beams of the headlights. It turned out to be mostly empty. To the left of where they had entered, was a stack of large shipping containers, with a few more spread about the acres of space inside the building. However, for a building meant to contain thousands of containers of this size, they were somewhat lucky. From the ceiling hung a set of catwalks, with large ropes, and machinery, perhaps meant to work in tandem with vehicles that appeared not to be present. The car soon arrived at a small building set in the middle of the warehouse, with a steel door. “Excuse me a moment.” Alexander exited the car, and walked up to the building. After a few seconds of muttering with the occasional orange glow, the door swung open. No sirens sounded, and Alexander was not vaporized. Good. He flicked on the lights, then signalled to Corwin, who turned off the engine, and headed around to the trunk to begin to unload. Alexander too began to unload, talking to Ciri as he did so. “Corwin will be leaving of course. Even if what you said wasn't true, I wouldn't be keeping someone like him around for the more dangerous parts of the war. He has little use in that field. We will have a few hours during which we'll be exposed, correct? Do I need to be in the 'safe room' during that time? And can you do anything else while creating your territory, if another servant were to attack?” Alex tossed a sleeping bag into the lab. In practice, the lab was in fact four rooms. The first was a small entrance room, with a desk and little else in it. Perhaps for searches and signing in? The next room was the main area of the lab, with benches, flasks, alchemical symbols in one fenced off corner, and numerous other items sitting in cabinets in this room. The next room was a spartan office. All the paperwork was locked up in cabinets, and it was obvious to Alexander that his privileges in the lab had not been extended to this information. The final room was a bathroom. But, this brought up an important question: “Caster, tell me,” Alex said, as Corwin carefully set down what appeared to be some food supplies, “can you keep this whole lab building-inside-a-building as your safe room? Because this area is effectively four rooms, but I don't see how the arrangement of walls should affect your territory too much, so long as the safe room is still entirely enclosed.”

[Alexander/Ciri] They were nearing their destination, it seemed, as the car's general speed was decreasing, with more turns. If Ciri was paying much attention, she might notice that certain buildings had appeared more than once. Corwin did not seem concerned though, and continued to drive, glancing to the sides every so often, searching for something. Alexander turned back to the girl sitting in the back seat. “The Grail didn't say? That is unsettling. If the time comes, and there is only one wish, you may have it. My greatest wish would be facilitated by the Grail, but with sufficient time and effort could be completed without it. The Grail, for me, is a shortcut. What it can grant, I will achieve by whatever means.” Corwin flicked on the turn signal, and pulled into a small parking lot, next to a large, and rather shabby warehouse. “It would be wise to check I suppose, a few more things which the Grail might have told you? Do you know where it might appear? Do you have any knowledge of the number of servants summoned? And do you—It seems that we're here.”

Edmond Taking the siege engines, that's important. Edmond stared slightly stunned as a man apparently punched the siege engine apart. But, as strong as that punch had seemed, the group had been surrounded, and might be overwhelmed if the enemy could prevent them from reforming with the main group. So Edmond turned his attentions to the forces encroaching upon the isolated group. The HUD in his helmet set little circles of light over the enemies, allowing Edmond to precisely fire at the circle of enemies without hurting any of the heroes. Liliya "Shit! Why're you throwing people at us?" Liliya reached out and, if the new inhabitant of the truck carried a polearm, reached out and hacked at his weapon with her flame-wreathed dagger. If he has a sword, she would try to get in close to this presumably disoriented man where his sword couldn't be maneuvered and would stab into the chinks of his armor.

[Archer & Kevin] “D-Master, you know that's really creepy and odd, right? I've had some weird shit in my life too—the morons who thought they'd met an actual angel, the one psycho at the Pirate, Oh! And the Krupp Run—and I ain't being rude or anything, or saying I don't believe you, but that's unnerving. What if the grail pulls some trickery on us?” Darien's first new drone was done, so he began to work on another. It wasn't a terribly difficut task, though it was a bit time consuming, so he peered over into the back of the vehicle, to see what other stuff Kevin had prepared. “What have you got back here? Some gear or something? And...damn, I forgot to ask, what type of magics do you do?” [Alexander/Ciri] “Oh, very good, Caster. He was nervous, even from the beginning, but that had nothing to do with me. Any man like him would fear the uninvited guest. The invited one too. All men who gain power are afraid to lose it. No man who does not take caution not to lose it will ever retain it. He is a surprisingly prudent man.” Alexander patted his coat. “If I had tried to shoot him, he would have been ready. Don't worry though, I was not planning to, even if he hadn't been prepared. There would have been no reason.” He trailed off, and leaned forward to peer out the windshield at the starry night sky above. “Or maybe he is a foolish man. Look at the stars, so many, and so far away, each, perhaps, with a world of their own. In such a small and insignificant world as ours, who can be afford to let themselves be fettered by others? That is what Terrence did, though. Not me, I'm not inconveniencing him much. It is his son, Jasper who shackles him, and gives others power over him. I have sway over him, and so do others, and in time, Terrence will have to decide whether he wishes to pass his position to a man, who, while gifted, is crippled by his history.” Corwin, who appeared to have making a point of not reacting or listening, turned, and mentioned that they would be arriving soon. Alexander clasped his hands. “I suppose it's time to win the grail then. I do not know enough about the grail to answer a question I have, but perhaps you can. Will the grail supply two wishes? One each to the master and to the servant? Or just one?”

[Archer & Kevin] “Oh. Hrmph. Maps will do. So there's at least three teams...But there might be tons more? I hope your friend with the info is something special, cause otherwise, I don't like our chances. No idea how many servants? There could be like thirty of the bastards, and we have no clue where any are. Eh, there's probably not much to do about it, and you're not to blame anyway...You have some freaky connection to the shrine?” Darien shifted his weight inside the vehicle. If Kevin took a moment to look in the rearview mirror, he would probably be able to tell that the first new drone was already done, which would bring his current drone total to four. “Why don't you tell me a bit more about that. If we've got some spooky connection, I should probably know in case you start glowing or something.” [Alexander/Ciri] “Yes. Highlark owns a lab in the eastern section of the industrial district. We should be well supplied with mana.” The manservant opened the doors to the car and, as soon as Alexander and Ciri had entered, they set off again, this time heading south. They passed for a bit through more residential areas filled with the houses of the elite, in styles from every era and country. After a time though, there was a shift and the sprawling lawns that lined the dark streets shifted into shops, office buildings, and brightly lit sidewalks. In this dim light that shown in through the windows, Alexander stared at his fingers. “Tell me Caster, what did you think of Terrence Highlark? He is, after all, one of the foremost in the field of magical research, one of the richest inhabitants of this town, and current owner of most Latvia. And Sally is quite the little mage. She shows more talent at nine than I could have mustered at sixteen." And yet it had sounded as though the child adored Alexander. "Tell me your impressions. I want to know what you paid attention to.”

[Archer & Kevin] Darien grunted in response. It seemed the boy had things pretty well planned out. Contacts were always good, though one always had to be prepared for the knife in the back that inevitably came from needing other people's help. “You got a wish for the grail, boy? You don't need to answer that, if you don't want. People are kinda private about those things sometimes. Anyway, back to that plan of yours. We gonna get a nest or something? A high perch to watch from? I'm all for searching the city for allies and enemies, but I'm gonna be best if I've got some visuals on the city. Gives me clear shots, and a bit of info on who's in and who's out of the war, and where people are hiding. Speaking of, how many are in this war? Do you know? I got a feeling this war is a little odd.” [Alexander/Ciri] Alexander nodded, and soon the car came to a stop in another long driveway leading up to a manor. Corwin stepped out, circled the car, and opened the doors for Alex and Caster. “Please go into spiritual form now. The Highlarks are a wealthy family, well-versed in many strange arts, but even they would be surprised by your appearance.” When they had arrived inside, Alex was greeted by a well-built old man. His hair was entirely gray, but he seemed unnaturally fit for a man who seemed to be at least seventy. His hands were hidden in his pockets, but it was quite obvious that he had some form of defense ready to go at a moment's notice. “Is that you, Alex? It's been quite some time since you've paid me a visit! Sally has been asking about you. She's in bed now, of course, but it would please my granddaughter if you'd come over a bit more.” Alexander nodded, and smiled graciously. “I am sorry, sir. I do enjoy spending time with Sally. She's quite an intelligent girl. However, I've been...busy for the last few weeks." The man, who seemed to be the Terrence Highlark that Alexander mentioned earlier, began to frown intently. “You're busy. I see. I suppose that's why you've come here tonight? For a favor? I must say, I'm a little disappointed, Alex. Well, I suppose we must discuss it. I'm not going to refuse it on principle, so come on in.” Terrence lead the way to the drawing room, where he gestured for Alex to take a seat, after which he followed suit. “Thank you, sir, for your time. I'll be brief. I want to borrow your lab, on the leyline conjunction for a month. I need to do some research, in private.” Terrence stood up from his chair, and began to pace. “That's quite the favor. You know how fast research progresses, right? Two weeks might be enough to put me behind my competitors. And what about my workers? I suppose I could pass it off as a vacation...There's still the problem of why I should give you a favor that might cost me...” He thought for a moment, counting on fingers, “...as much as six million? That's exorbitant, I'm sorry to say.” Alexander's expression did not change. He had expected this. “Hmm, perhaps this is too much. You see, sir, I need a little time to get an edge over some competitors. You know what that is like, I'm certain. I will make some form of fiscal compensation to you. I can't offer you more than a million right now, though.” Alex himself stood up, and stepped over to the mantle, and picked up one of the pictures. “Jasper is looking well, I see. He was in Heidelberg last I remember? His studies were going well if I recall, top of the class, I think? You must be very proud of your son.” It was almost indiscernible, but Terrence Highlark's expression subtly changed, carrying just the tiny hint of fear in it. “I see. I'm glad to hear that Jasper is doing well, and I hope he continues to do so. On thinking about it, a million should be fine, but I can only give you the lab for a week or two. I'll get you set up to bypass the wards, and no one should bother you for two weeks. If you're done before then, please tell me so I can get back to work.” Alexander reached out, and shook the man's hand. “Thank you, sir. It means a lot to me. And, if I discover something revolutionary, I'll be sure to give you some credit.” The slight tinge of fear slowly disappeared from the face of the old man, and he imitated Alexander's calm. “Thank you, Alex. I'll see you out. Oh, and be certain to come visit Sally soon, will you?” After the pleasantries had been observed, a few spells were cast on Alexander to prevent the alarms and traps in the lab from going off, and he was escorted out of the house. When they had arrived back at the car, and the gentleman had departed, Alexander said, "You can appear now, Caster."

Edmond "Arrows wouldn't be a problem, but the ice and lightning will be more difficult." So, Edmond let himself fall back downwards, until he had reached about twenty feet above the ground. Once he had stabilized himself at this proper altitude, he circled around the stone vehicle that seemed to be carrying some of the group. From here, he rained shots down on the hordes of enemies. There were so many that he barely even needed to aim. Liliya Liliya remained in the stone vehicle, doing what she could to slice at any warrior who got too close.

[Archer & Kevin] “You've definitely got a lot figured, boy. It pays to be clever in this war, and you definitely seem clever. Ah, there we go!” Darien tossed the seat the seat out effortlessly, then frowned. “Just leave it there? Can't hurt, right?” He then slid into the back of the van. The vehicle rocked a bit as the tires compressed, but otherwise, he seemed to fit, and hopefully wouldn't cause too much trouble. The drones that had been buzzing about his head settled down in the trunk, occasionally whirring slightly then settling back down. And of course, the newest creation was becoming increasingly visible, though it was still mostly tranparent and lacking substance. “Are we just gonna drive about the city until we run into a servant? Kill them if they're weaker, run if they're stronger, and talk nice if they're Lancer or Assassin? Or have you got a trick up your sleeve?” [Alexander/Ciri] She preferred physical form. Alexander remained mostly silent as Corwin opened the garage door, and headed down the driveway. When they reached the end, Corwin quietly inquired as to the direction they would take. “North. We're going to see Terrence Highlark. Caster, your territory will be amplified at the place where leylines meet? That is good.” Corwin drove onwards, through the mingled manors and upper class dwellings, heading to the house of another prominent mage family. Alexander meanwhile, remained motionless, staring straight ahead. “We haven't seen or sensed any other servants, but they must be out there. They will be most dangerous tonight, I think, when we know the least about them. We will need luck to win. Luck and skill. But luck is the one we can't control."

[Archer & Kevin] "Yeah, I've got a gun." Darien pulled aside his brown coat to reveal a gun hanging at his side. It seemed to be a rather ordinary submachine gun, though it seemed a little shinier than would be expected, and it would be obvious to the practiced eye that it was magically enhanced. The other thing that would be noticed is that the gun looked pitifully small compared to Darien's size. He gave the tool a loving pat before letting his coat fall back. "But! More guns are ALWAYS better. I'm also gonna need something a little less puny. Anyways, the shrine's got no defences, you say? That's not good. We'll definitely need to fix that sometime...Before the Grail appears, right? Or this will all be a big waste of time!" The troll bellowed out a laugh, then continued. "Alliances are good. Lancer or Assassin? Tough choice, both have dangers. So tell me, Master Kevin, are we gonna backstab first, or are you going to let them go first?" Darien knew what he wanted to hear, which was that they were going to be the first to betray--the other option was just plain stupid--but Kevin was the master, and their choice of an ally would be affected by whether they expected to make the first move in breaking the alliance. "And, definitely. more drones coming right up!" It was currently almost imperceptible, but there began to appear a slight shimmering growing a few inches above Darien's head as he followed his new master to the car. [Alexander/Ciri] "That is understandable. Everyone has their own mistake, or their own failing--the reason why they fight this bloody war for the grail. I will not ask that question again, unless you want to share in the future. I have my own reasons for seeking the grail...To put it simply, I want to fix a relationship from my childhood. I am curious, what does it feel like to be a heroic spirit?" When the two reached the garage, the car appeared to have been loaded up. Nothing could be seen in the windows, as they were decently tinted, and it was night. However, as soon as the passenger door was opened, it was apparent that great preparations had been made, as two thirds of the back seat was crammed with assorted equipment, ranging from camping gear to a generator to assorted papers to makeup to guns to a large flood light. One might wonder if Corwin would even be able to use the rear view mirror. The trunk was probably filled with even more stuff. "Do you wish to remain in physical form, or to go into spiritual form? Either is acceptable, as there is still some room in the back seat. It's up to you." Alexander seated himself in the passenger seat, waiting for Ciri to make her decision.

[Archer & Kevin] “Well then Master, onward to victory! HA!" Darien quieted down, and listened as the bald man went on. The master seemed to understand things well enough... "Yeah, that's right. Best would be if you could get me some guns. Guns are always fun, and it would keep me from needing to waste drones before my Noble Phantasm.” Darien patted his trench coat as he said this, then looked around once more, and seemed to take a bit more notice of their surroundings. “In a shrine, eh? Tell me, anything I should know about this shrine? Wards and shit? Any other crazy magic stuff? And what's the plan? Do you want me to sit around all night making drones? I could do that, even though it would be really boring. But do you have something else in mind? I'm the servant, so I'm going to do what you ask.” The troll shifted his weight almost restlessly. [Alexander & Ciri] "It was nothing. I would be at a disadvantage if I didn't know my servant's goals. What if my wish for the grail clased with yours? And if you could not summon the will to kill, I would have to spend command seals. Nothing could be changed by asking, but at least I would be able to prepare. We will be killing, of course, but with your territory creation, there will be no need to harm 'innocents' to obtain mana." Alexander exited the room, leading Ciri downstairs. They passed through a common area and a dining room, before stopping at the door to a study. "Wait here." He entered, for a moment, heading to one of the shelves. He pulled two tomes off the shelf. To take them, or to leave them? Alexander settled on the later choice. It would be difficult for a mage to infiltrate this house, and while the tomes were valuable to otehr mages, he himself could not really make effective use of them. So he lifted up a floor panel, slid the tomes in, before sealing the hole, and weaving several illusions over the spot. On his way out of the study, he opened a desk drawer, and put something quickly into his pocket. As they headed towards the garage where Corwin was prepping the car, Alexander posed this question: "You mentioned mistakes in your old life. Do they have anything to do with your rise to legend? What were they?"

[Alexander & Ciri] Alexander smiled warmly, and held out his hand slightly. "But of course. It is a pleasure to meet you, Caster. I am Alexander Nottingham." After speaking and presumably shaking hands, he went silent for a moment, mentally reviewing the information now available to him. She was generally average it seemed, a little strong physically for a caster. Hopefully they would not be a huge target because of this. The weak would not gang up against them, and the strong would either defeat their strongest rivals first, or would pick off the weakest foes. On Alexander's face a hint of a frown appeared; she would be difficult to maintain with his level of mana. However, the frown soon disappeared. "Your Noble Phantasm is rather marvelous." It wasn't quite a dismissal, but it was the end of his appraisal of the servant. Alexander walked over to the door. Unlocking it, he rang the bell, summoning Corwin. A small gasp escaped the short proud manservant when he arrived on the threshold. "Y-you did it. Oh! Pardon my rudeness, sir. What will you be needing?" Alexander glanced back towards the servant standing in the middle of the room. "We will need to find a place where Caster can perform well. Any abandoned part of a building will do, but the best would be the abandoned factory." Corwin nodded. "I shall pack up the car immediately. When shall we leave?" Alexander glanced around the room, gaze lingering on the painting. He'd be leaving this place soon, and he wouldn't miss it much. "We will leave when you have packed the car. Now," he said, turning back to Caster as Corwin left the room with haste, "tell me about yourself. Not your true name; stating that would be foolish. What I need to know is why you want the grail, and what you are willing to do to get it."

[Archer & Kevin] As the light from Kevin's circle grew brighter, a strange hum, a constant droning, became apparent, increasing, until it became even more painful than the blinding light. When it had almost become too much for a human to bear, it disappeared. Well, it seemed to disappear. In reality it had simply decreased in volume substantially, and lost its constancy. At this same time, the light dimmed, and standing before Kevin was a tall man with a set of objects whirling--no, not a man. Since when have men had tusks and horns, and been nearly nine feet tall!? This creature stood upright in the center of the summoning circle, wearing a huge brown leather trench coat. "HA HA! IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK!" The servant bellowed this, while stretching its limbs. He then turned his head in a circle as though looking for something. He found it when he finally looked down. "Woops, sorry fellow. Almost didn't see you there. So tell me: are you gonna command me in this war?" He stared down at Kevin intently, drones whirring in unpredictable circles a few feet above his head.

Edmond Get word to the defenders? Edmond listened to the voice coming from some woman in a jumpsuit. It didn't seem to match her, perhaps from the small item resembling a compad? It was almost certain a personal computer of some sort... Edmond pulled up from his forward motion, aiming straight up. Do there appear to be any obstacles to flying straight up above arrow range, then going horizontally, before dropping into the fort to alert the defenders? Liliya Liliya found herself in a stone vehicle, resembling a car. Sh had no clue how it was even working, except the possible explanation of magic. Which actually seemed like a pretty likely and reasonable explanation. In any case, Liliya sat in on of the passenger seats of the vehicles, decently protected by the stone for the most part. Every so often, she would activate her precognition, in order to catch some stray arrows that had passed by the other people's defenses. If a dragon warrior came close enough to the window of course, she made a point of stabbing it repeatedly.

The light in the well-furnished room had begun to dim; dusk was here, and the time had arrived. Alexander sat, straight upright, in a chair quite obviously designed for reclining. His eyes stared straight ahead, towards an antique painting. It portrayed and elderly man, with graying hair, a firm jaw, and a decided pride in his expression. The man pictured was sitting, and a small cane rested against his knees. The resemblance between the man in the frame and the man in the seat, while not striking, was present. When the light dimmed, and the last rays of the setting sun disappeared from the room, Alexander rose. He stepped softly to the door, and rang a small bell. The high pitched chimes echoed for a moment until the sound of footsteps on stairs could be heard. A short man arrived at the top of the steps, and dipped his head slightly; a vestige of the bows which Alexander had forbidden. "Yes, sir?" Alexander smiled, an innocent smile. "Friend, would you bring me the blood? We need to begin." With a nod of affirmation, Corwin--for that was the manservant's name: Corwin Royce--headed down the stairs to obey his master's order. Alexander, meanwhile, approached the window, and peered out. The streets were emptying of people, though cars still passed. The man carefully closed the heavy drapes, and with a quick motion, covered the few gaps with a veil of darkness. It was simple, something that even he, with his limited supply of mana, and his training and aptitude, could do even in his sleep. Corwin returned, with a few sealed plastic bags, for blood infusions. He handed them carefully to Alexander, and then retreated to the door. "Sir? Do you..need anything else? Is there any other way in which I can help with the summoning?" Alexander peered at him a moment, expression serenely inscrutable, then answered softly, "No, friend. You've done enough. I'll call you when I'm done." Corwin stepped out the door, and once he had, Alexander quietly turned the lock. Now he was alone. The bags were slit open, emptied, then quietly placed in a small waste bin. As soon as the runic circle had been filled, Alexander glanced at his left wrist. The watch hands glowed softly, but that was not what he was interested in. He pulled back the watch, exposing a crimson triangle, made up of three perfect circles etched on his skin. A slight tingling. It was time. Alexander held out his hand, and began to speak, softly again. What good would it do to attract undue attention? "Blood flows unhindered, Stories of greatness intertwine. My body is yours, Your heart I desire, Brandish your soul against my foes. Come forth with me unto victory." The trio of circles on Alexander's wrist began to glow, along with the engraved circle on the floor. The blond man did not move as the light grew to blinding strength filling the room. For a moment he could see nothing.

Edmond: "I'm ready to move out. Do you have any advice, or knowledge of this world that will be useful in breaking through to the keep?" As Edmond asked this, he prepared to take off in the direction that the fort was indicated to be. A quick preflight check indicated that there didn't seem to be any problems caused by the previous battle. Liliya Liliya, again remaining mostly silent, nodded to express her assent, before hopping onto one of the assembled rides.

Edmond: Edmond tileted himself into a landing, and carefully watched as the woman calling herself Nobunaga, made a few revelations. She was going to disappear in sixty seconds? And she needs a mage of some sort with Mana. Therefore, that must be a requirement for her to appear here. She called herself and Archer-Class servant, and the woman we met, she called Assassin. The gun thing implies that these class names either do not have to be exact, or that this world invented guns without bows. Somewhat unlikely? Can't be certain though... In any case, it would seem that both here are what she would call servants in...A "Holy Grail War"? Simply a large fight between servants over the Holy Grail? The question though, is that the grail is... "So, this is a large fight between servant's in order to obatin the goblet that was supposedly touched by the blood of Christ? Why, excluding the obvious historical significance of course? And..." Here she mentioned saving questions for once they were in the keep. Edmond therefore, quickly noted down four questions: What was the rift she had mentioned? What was the Holy Grail War about? What were Leylines? And, were there any other combatants besides Caster and Assassin? "How do you propose we enter the keep? And," Edmont turned to Solomon in particular, "it was mentioned that questions can wait, since we're short on time..." Liliya: "Oda Nobunaga? That was some japanese historical person or something, right? But wasn't he a guy? Multiverses, I guess..." Liliya hopped off the platform of books when it descended, and stood quietly in the circle surrounding the girl, for the time being simply absorbing the conversation swirling around her. Plenty of magic talk, talk of a Holy Grail? And, they would be assaulting the keep. Liliya looked up. Can she see the fortress, or at least the enemies surrounding it from where she is? If so, what does the the fortress look like, and what do the enemies seem to be? Try to estimate the distance to the fortress if possible.

Edmond: Being still in the mindset of "trust no one", Edmond captured a few seconds of footage of this new arrival, but, in accordance with the wishes of the person who was rescuing them, launched himself into the air in the direction she had indicated. Liliya: "God, what is going on here?" She muttered. It seemed though, that one of the team was offering a ride? Huh. Liliya quickly climbed onto the platform of books, waiting for it to take off.